The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Summary: Despereaux is a small mouse with a big heart. The other mice think he is strange because he loves beautiful things like stained glass windows and music instead of focusing on finding food to eat. When Despereaux meets the Princess Pea, he falls in love with her – just like the brave knights and fair ladies from his favorite book. After a revenge-seeking rat and a foolish servant girl kidnap the princess and take her to the dungeon, can Despereaux find a way to rescue her?

Highlights: This sweet story has all the right elements for a traditional fairy tale, but it rises above the usual fare because of DiCamillo’s handling of her characters. Each of the main players has a back story that gives them dimension and explains the motivations behind their actions. Even the rat with a dastardly plan becomes sympathetic, and some of the light characters have spots of darkness within them. It is obvious that DiCamillo loves her characters, and the reader is invited to love them as well. This book would be excellent for the younger set of “tweens,” perhaps particularly those who are developing their reading skills. The book is very engaging (the narrator often speaks directly to the “reader”), and has a smattering of vocabulary building words – some of which I needed to look up! Most importantly, the story is heart-warming, often humorous, and a delight to read. Winner of the 2004 Newbery Medal.

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About Me
My name is Caroline and I'm studying to get my Masters in Library and Information Science.

About the Blog
This blog is designed for a course I'm taking about books and other materials for tweens. Check back regularly for my reviews.

Disclosure

I will occasionally review Advanced Readers copies (ARCs). These are uncorrected proofs that I have received from the publisher, and there may be changes in the final edition. I am not being paid to review them, and I will always make it clear when an entry is an ARC.